


Of Love Stories and LEGOs

by orphan_account



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bisexual Ned Leeds, Bisexual Peter Parker, F/M, Good Friend Ned Leeds, Kid Peter Parker, M/M, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Pre-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Trans Peter Parker, it jumps around
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-11-27 01:06:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20939756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Peter Parker is bisexual and has the biggest, dorkiest crush on Ned Leeds. He'd crushed on him for years now, since the middle of eighth grade, probably. He'd listen to cheesy love songs and always think of his best friend. But Ned was straight, he liked girls. So he kept it to himself.And then he goes and finally tells Tony Freakin' Stark.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> me: i better get the first chapter out so i can start on the second one  
also me: starts on the second chapter before even finishing the first, making the first take forever to finish and post
> 
> i hope you enjoy it!!

Edward Leeds. Or Ned, if you weren't his mom scolding him or a teacher on the first day of school. So... er... Ned Leeds.

Ned had been Karen's best friend since they were six. They met in first grade when the child finally felt ready to go back to school after the whole... you know.

Karen was still making it past her parents' death, but with her aunt and uncle's help, she was working on it. She was young after all- she didn't grasp the concept of death well. And for a big part about her life, she wouldn't. But this made it better, even if it was just by a little bit.

They kicked it off on the first day and Karen had rushed home shouting she made a new friend, making her anxious aunt and uncle more relieved that things were moving on. They were in the same class, so of course, they were near inseparable. Throughout elementary school, they were connected at the hip. They did everything together. To the point where they had to train themselves to be quiet when the teacher was talking just so they were allowed to sit next to each other. The teachers could never get them in trouble about being friends, as much as they wanted to. They were quiet and well behaved, so they had technically done nothing wrong.

They had all the same interests, which were mostly childish cartoons and video games. They had always gotten along. The longest they had gone without talking to each other was three days because one obliterated the other in Smash Bros. As they grew, they introduced new things to each other, further growing the bond.

And in the fourth grade, Karen was now Peter. Only to Ned who, of course, was the first to know. They had picked it out after Peter Pan, which was the boy's favorite story. And a week before her- no, _his_\- birthday, they were having a sleepover. It was at Ned's house because he had more games than Peter did and because Ned's dad thought his aunt and uncle deserved a break. But little did Ned's parents know that the two had been devising a plan for a few weeks now.

Peter had hated his long hair since he was a kid. In when he was seven, he tried to cut it himself in class and earned a stern talking to. He didn't regret it, of course. But he had wished for shorter hair for years now, and he couldn't place why. But now he knew.

"Okay, don't move. It'll be messy." Ned informed him. It was almost eleven pm, and Ned was shakily holding a pair of safety scissors. Peter was energized as always, excited for his short haircut. He had told Ned for months now that he was a boy- it mostly started with their gym teacher separating the boys and girls and Peter starting to develop dysphoria. Peter had been uncomfortable for a while, but he felt more grown-up now to handle his hair.

"It'll be what I want! And my best friend is to do it, so it'll be even better." Peter grinned ear to ear. Small snips rung in his ear and hair immediately started to fall to the floor after that. It was nearly a foot of hair. They had no idea how to style it so it looked very choppy. They had sat Peter on a beach towel to keep Ned's floor clean, but it wasn't working out all that well.

Peter bit his tongue to keep him from exploding when he saw it. Looking back, it was janky and messy. But he nearly cried when he saw it. He bounced on his toes, turning to Ned. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He threw his arms around Ned, holding him tight.

They cleaned up the hair the best two fourth-graders could, giggling the entire time. Peter was beaming. He bounced and waited on Ned's bed, awaiting his return. Instead, his mom opened the door. Peter distinctly remembered her dropping a laundry basket, childish shirts falling everywhere.

"Karen!" She gasped, putting a hand on her heart. Peter always imagined she was praying for god or something- even though Ned's family wasn't religious. "Your hair! Oh, honey- did Ned cut it?! Oh no- honey, your aunt's going to be so upset."

"Ned did it!" Peter said with a big grin, a front tooth missing. Rookie mistake, kid.

He remembered anxiety curling in his chest and he nearly threw up. She lectured the two for an _hour_. The two sat at the top of the stairs while she called Peter's aunt. He promptly broke into tears when Ned's mom described how poorly it was cut. May and Ben brought him to a barber and fixed it, but took away all the scissors in the house.

May seemed stressed that they weren't doing a good job of raising him, and it clearly showed. But Ben was much more relaxed and kept Peter out of the argument. He told him that he liked the haircut and took him for ice cream and that was that.

In the sixth grade, he came out as trans. Ben and May took it well, noticing his boyish personality and his hatred for anything feminine. Of course, Peter didn't hate girly things, but he hated how he was viewed if he liked them. They understood completely and started to adapt. In the seventh grade, all of his teachers were instructed to call him Peter. Not all of them called him _he_, but Peter was working on that.

In the same year, Ben sat the two boys down on their designated night and the moms (or mother-figures) spoke in the kitchen. The adult mentioned Peter's dad enjoying this movie, and put it on. They had a big bowl of popcorn to share, giving the uncle his own. The two women in the kitchen dimmed the lights, trying to settle them down, but kept talking in their mother-like way. The kids giggled, excited. The tape was pushed into the slot and the screen illuminated with the movie. In the beginning, the children dismissed it and kept their whispers ongoing, until the conflict was revealed.

The two didn't find it as interesting, only quieting down to watch it for about ten minutes at a time. (In the future, they'd watch just to analyze on a single character. Especially after Ben passed, they wanted to learn more about it to keep the bond with him. Ned's words.)

When the movie ended, the two broke from their short-termed stupor. They looked up at Ben and requested he play another movie. Of course, he didn't and ushered them to bed.

In eighth grade, they got bored and found the tape under Peter's bed and decided to watch it again. They only recognized the cover art, but they now remembered the name and laughed back on it. It was the first (fourth?) Star Wars movie.

They paid more attention this time, seeing their attention spans were longer than four or five minutes now. When Peter's uncle opened the door to see them watching it, he broke into a grin, making a joke saying he _knew_ they'd like it. And of course, they did. They marathoned the rest of them that weekend, renting them on some sketchy website. Later that year, Peter, Ned, and about six other students in their middle school were selected with their grades to get much cheaper admission to Midtown Tech, and about half the group took the offer.

In his freshman year, Peter came out as bi. He knew he was bi because Peter liked Ned. A lot. It was hard to explain. And in that year, Peter became obsessed with Star Wars. _Obsessed_. Why?

Ned's dad had recently found out he had watched them all- he for some reason, never brought it up. So naturally, his also geeky-dad got him a ton of Star Wars stuff, furthering Ned's enjoyment for the series. Which, in no coincidence at all, furthered Peter's enjoyment for the series. And fuck, fuck, Peter realized he liked Ned. _Like_ liked Ned.

_Fuck_.

The way Ned always made him laugh and cheered him up. Peter could confide in Ned. He could tell him... anything. And he did. He felt safe. He'd crushed on him for years now. Since the middle of eighth grade, he had to say. He'd listen to cheesy love songs and he hated how his mind always drifted to his best friend. He wanted to ignore it, his chest aching. But it got to the point he couldn't help it. But Ned was straight, he liked girls. So he kept it to himself.

Peter had never told anyone but May and Ben that he was bi. And he hadn't told anyone that he liked Ned. He'd written it (in letters to Ned he'd never send) but he'd never dare speak it. He felt if he spoke it, Ned would somehow, no matter where he was, hear it. Peter's heart wrenched each time he thought about it. Ned could have anyone he wanted- and Peter would've been dead last, even if Ned _was_ bi, or gay. But slowly his heart healed and he learned to live with it. Of course, it never fully went away, but that was okay. He was fine.

Ben's passing wrecked Peter's world. He also had these new powers he couldn't control, nor did he want to. His heart was broken- his mourning hurt more than anything else. It made Peter think of his parents passing- Ben was there. Therewith him. But now Ben was gone and Peter was alone. He and his aunt had to face the world together.

The teen had now dubbed this as the _Parker Luck._

Meeting Tony Stark helped him normalize his powers. Saying that they were powers made him feel like he was in a kid's cartoon. He worked hard to impress Mr. Stark- and the city of New York. The night that Ned found out Peter was Spider-Man was so liberating for the super-boy. It was so hard to keep so many secrets from the teen. He was happy to have less stress on his shoulders. But then more stress came with that. He felt like Ned would spill all those secrets too.

Peter answered the questions Ned desperately wanted to know and was a little happy about it. He smiled at how excited his best friend was. He also semi-liked the attention he was getting but refused to say it out loud.

Homecoming was the worst. Peter liked Liz, of course, but... not as much as he liked his best friend. And thank god for- er, well, not thank god, but- it was a bit of a relief he didn't have to go to homecoming anyway. He wasn't a big party person, especially with his anxiety and super-senses.

But what made homecoming worth it was Ned's reaction to the news coverage. That Monday, when most of Peter's scrapes and bruises were healed, and some of his worst injuries would only be sustained for a few more days, Ned rushed up to him. "Dude, that was fucking _awesome_!" He earned a glare from a nearby teacher, but the two made their way to the decathlon. "You- you took down the wings guy! By yourself!" He lowered his voice a bit. "You're an Avenger!"

Peter grinned a bit. "I mean... basically, yeah. I saved their plane- and there was good stuff on it, too. You should've seen his bag full of stuff. It was like some magic _belt_, and like, four Iron Man suits."

"Dude, you are _so_ cool. You could go around, jump on the roof and be like 'look at me!'" Ned's impression of Peter's voice was... so endearing. "'I'm Spider-Man!' Like, how cool is that?!"

"Okay, dude, you don't need to yell it-"

"_You're_ so freaking cool!" Ned grinned, making Peter's face burn a crimson. Thank god they were at the library because he couldn't form a sentence in return to Ned's sweet exclamation. They sat down and Peter had a small smile plastered on his face the rest of the time, and his phone buzzed, interrupting his reverie.

**Unknown Number**  
Go to the bathroom

Er... Yikes.

Months had gone by since the homecoming incident, as they now dubbed it, and the two were now close. He felt like a somewhat father-figure to him. Of course, Tony would never become what Ben was, but he was there for the teen. Meeting the rest of the Avengers every couple of weeks was a nice plus, too. The young adult spoke about Ned all the time, of course. To the point where some of the team started to speculate- especially Tony. Peter could still remember the first time Tony asked about their... friendship.

"So, kiddo," Tony asked, one day at dinner. They all got Chinese food, per Sam's request. Bucky and Natasha had joined them and Sam had come in a little later. "Your friend... Ted. Ted? Ned. Is that the kid I see you with all the time when I pick you up?"

"Yessir." Peter nodded, his heart beating harder in his chest just thinking about him. _God, Peter, you're so in love. Stop being stupid._ He tried to brush it off. He tried to shut down the subject by taking another bite of his food, trying to initial that he was done talking about his friend.

"How long have you two been friends?" Suspicion wavered his voice.

"Er..." He counted in his head. "Like nine years now. Since the first grade." Peter shrugged it off. He fought back the smile Ned always gave him when he thought about him. _God, Peter, we get it, you like him, just-_

"Tell me about you two. Are you two... you know..." Tony raised an eyebrow. Sam whipped his head around, grinning a bit. Bucky broke into a fit of giggles.

Peter choked on his noodles, covering his mouth as he spoke. "No! No- I- We're just friends!"

"Alright, kid, I believe you." Tony put his hands up. Of course, Tony didn't.

"You reacted way too fast to that. You two totally are. I didn't know you were gay." Sam raised an eyebrow. Tony frowned, making an expression as if he had bitten into a lemon.

"He's _bisexual_, there's a difference." Tony corrected. He was adamant about it, too. If Peter wasn't open about it, this would be bad, so made a note to tell him about it later. The teenager's face was crimson and it was very obvious.

"I am, but-but we aren't dating!" Peter saying it hurt his heart a little more. It was stupid.

"Ah, so you're bi? Are you and Ned..." Bucky proceeded to make a circle with his hand and stick a finger through it, making Peter want to barf up his dinner.

"No! We aren't! We- he's straight! He likes girls!" Peter was getting panicky like he always did, and he knew Tony could tell.

"Crushing on a straight boy, huh?" Bucky laughed. "Boy, is that rough. I've been there, kiddo."

"I'm- it's not a crush! We're just friends!" Peter was getting tired of fighting this- but he refused to say it out loud. He wasn't about to confess his boy troubles to _The Avengers_.

"Do you want to be more than friends?" Natasha raised an eyebrow. Peter opened his mouth to speak, but hesitate ever so slightly. Natasha raised her eyebrows. "You do! You're totally in love with your best friend!

"No- no, that is an _outlandish_ accusation-"

"You do talk about him a lot," Tony noted. Thank god he wasn't being as relentless as the others, or Peter wouldn't be able to take all of them head-on. But Tony still commented. "You never talk about your other friends the way you do with him, like MJ and-"

"I don't have a crush on him!" He slapped his hands onto the table for effect. "He's- he's just my friend! Just because we've known each other since we were little and- and we're friends doesn't mean I-I _like_ him!"

"You totally do! You probably get a bro boner thinking about him!" Sam laughed, which was the final strike for the boy.

After _that_ remark, Peter stood abruptly and walked to his room, leaving his dinner uneaten. When Tony assumed Peter was out of earshot (spoiler, he wasn't) he started blaming the three for making him upset and they all started to bicker. Peter hated it when they all bickered, and felt dumb for leaving anyway, but fucking Sam took it too far. Sam earned a hard punch in the arm from Bucky. He never lived that down, especially with a dark bruise from Bucky's mental arm.

(People used the term 'bro boner' for Sam and any guy he spoke to after that. For months. It got so bad that even the interns were in on it, and one of them added onto all the files related to the falcon with 'bro boner'. Sam never tracked down the starter of it. Everyone was pretty sure Natasha started it but little did they know it was the victim of his accusations. Plus, Peter tweeted it.)

Later that night, when Peter was brushing his teeth, Tony knocked on the door before opening it. Peter spat into the sink to open up room for conversation. "What's up, Mr. Stark?" Wiping the froth from his lips, he set the brush back into the drawer after rinsing it. Mint tingled in his mouth, making him wish he had a cup near him to fill with water. But it wasn't a pressing matter.

"I'm sorry about Sam. He's a loudmouth." Tony shrugged, leaning on Peter's desk. Tony always felt bad about people messing with Peter's sexuality or gender and it showed through. Peter appreciated it nonetheless. (Fun fact: Tony begged Peter, Steve, and Bucky for help when he wanted help with any sexuality stuff. Tony was trying to make his company cover any trans surgeries- which was covered by the news months late. Peter appreciated it more than anything.)

He shrugged. "It's no big deal. It was kind of funny, though. Even if it's at my expense." The teen lied, laughing a bit. "They were just messing around, it was harmless."

"You're too good, kid. But, uh... _are_ you and Ned a thing? I'm not saying its a bad thing if you are, but I was just curious, and I know I shouldn't have brought it up in front of everyone if I wanted to know, but-"

"No, sir, we aren't. Sorry to disappoint." He shrugged, staring into the sink and avoiding any type of eye contact. Stress rattled through his bones, keeping his shoulders tense. (For months, any time Ned was mentioned Peter would get a little more shut-off. Tony took fast to notice.)

Tony nodded, whether relieved or disappointed, it was hard to tell. "It's no big deal, kid. Date who you want. Girls, guys, you know, whatever. I just wanted you to know you can talk to m-"

"I uh," Peter cut him off, making the adult zip his lips _very_ fast. Tony was curious. "I do have a crush on him, though." He murmured, scarlet spreading across his face.

Tony seemed at a loss for words. He paused for a moment, pure shock. He was such a dad- he didn't see any of the clues. He had to take some credit, though, he did start the question about Peter liking Ned. "Wow. You do?"

Peter let a small smile spread across his face. It felt great to finally say it out loud. It was liberating as hell, and Peter felt tears try to clog his throat. "Yeah, Mr. Stark. For a, um, for a long long time. Before I was even Spider-Man. Before... anything, really. Since, like, the eighth grade, I guess."

"Does he know?" Tony lowered his voice, which only added to the whole Ned-might-hear thing.

"No, no sir. He's straight, that I wasn't lying about. I've never told him. I probably, um, never will. I mean, he's straight, and I think he likes this girl in my chem class, but- but uh- he's fine with me being bi and everything. But no, he's, um, he's straight." He blinked tears away, refusing to cry in front of him about some boy he liked. "Sorry, it just feels great to tell someone." Peter kicked himself for his clear nervousness and stutter.

Tony quirked his eyebrow in question. "You've never told anyone? Not even May?"

"No, sir. I'm out to her, of course, but... no. I just felt like if I said it out loud... he'd hear me somehow. It's dumb, I know, it's dumb, but-"

Tony interrupted him. "Do you want me to help you ask him out?" Peter paused, gears in his head moving.

Peter whipped around, looking him in the eyes with fear. "No! No way. That'd be way too embarrassing! Mr. Stark, I said this like nine times- he likes girls! And even if he didn't- he wouldn't like _me_!"

"Kid, why wouldn't he like you? You're a good kid, I'm assuming not that bad looking in a gay guy's eyes-"

"Okay! Okay, Mr. Stark, okay. That's enough-"

"-Plus, who wouldn't want to date Spider-Man?" Tony shrugged. Peter looked at his feet.

"I mean, yeah, but I don't want to use that to make him date me. That would make me shallow, and like I only pretend to be Spidey for him or something, I dunno, it just seems kinda mean. I mean, I don't think Sam goes around saying-" Peter lowered his voice. "-'Hey miss, I'm the falcon, I fought along Captain America and'-" Peter got cut off by Tony's look. Tony was cringing. Then it clicked. "He would _totally_ do that."

"In a heartbeat." Tony laughed.

"Bad example, but still. It'd be shitty of me to use that to make him date me, I guess." The two smiled, laughing. It was nice to laugh at Sam's expense this time, instead of his own.

"That's reasonable, kid. But hey, you never know what the future holds. Things change."

"Yeah, they do, I guess."

"Get some rest, okay, kiddo? I'm out there if you need me."

"Yessir." The teen nodded, a small, relieved smile spreading across his lips. Tony exited, leaving Peter to his thoughts. But telling him made him feel so much better. He slept easier that night.

About three or so months later, they were heading to MoMA. Peter was a little too excited to wander around a museum with his crush, but it would be a fun trip nonetheless. Not a lot of learning needed- plus, a day off school.

On the bus, a tingle ran through his body. He turned to see- oh, holy shit, was that- what the fuck was that? A space onion ring? What the _fuck_\- "Ned-" He looked at him. "I need you to cause a distraction." Peter pointed to the window. Ned didn't need to fake his reaction, screaming that they were all, indeed about to die.

If only Peter had known that he would die that day. Maybe he would've told Ned. Maybe said... goodbye. Maybe picked a better shirt to die in. _Lettuce, the taste of sadness_? Parker, could you be any cornier?

Peter couldn't, no matter how bad he wanted, rewrite history. He wanted so badly to go back in time and... fix everything. But he couldn't. And his fate was sealed as soon as he got off that damned bus.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> beta'd by my friend keira i love her shes babie   
keira if youre reading this i love u!!!
> 
> also keira turn ur phone upside down  
ooq

But then Peter died. And when he came back, everything changed. _Everything_ changed.

Peter thought Tony was dead. He couldn't remember what happened in the hospital after it. He remembered crying for hours on end into May's arms. It was a rough month. More than that. Finding out that you've been dead for _five years_? That... wow. That was awful. No amount of "what you missed from the Blip" articles could replace the memories Peter missed. He hadn't gone out as Spider-man at all. He kept his homecoming suit with him at all times, but his new one.. his new one had bad memories. But Peter was trying to get past that.

Trying.

It had been almost two months now since he got released from the hospital, so it had been almost four months since everyone came back. The teen still hadn't touched his suit. He'd worn his new one once, gone out in the streets a bit, and tested out new features. It was all stored in a clip now. But after half an hour, he looked down at himself and realized _this is wrong._ Everything was wrong.

People were still adjusting- god knows Peter still was. The teen acted as if he was fine and okay, but he was misplaced from his home, nearly unable to go back to his school, and worst of all Tony was... he stopped himself from saying dead. Hurt. Tony was _hurt_.

Peter was sitting on the steps of his old building, trying to find the words. Sitting there helped him think. He hugged himself, head falling onto his knees. He tried not to cry, but things were so bad. He wanted things to go back to the way they used to be. He didn't want May to have to get this new job, he wanted to be in the lab with Tony again. Peter hadn't seen Tony since... everything.

God, he wanted to see him.

But May had been so shut off about Tony and... unsure about him maybe? Peter tried not to bring him up too much. Maybe she resented him. Peter would never know. And Peter would never ask.

One night, about a month and a half after... everything, Peter was hanging out with Ned again. They had finally linked up and talked more. They were together through this. And soon, things were back to normal between them. Peter's mental health was getting better, too. Except, of course, when things started to get worse.

Peter was staying the night at Ned's while May was traveling. She had a new job, which helped her stay stationed most the time, but sometimes had to go further out in New York. It was too far for her to feel comfortable with Peter staying home alone, so he opted for his friend's house.

It had to be the dead middle of the night. Everyone had gone to bed by now- but Peter was still awake. He had been quieter all His mind wandered to dark places. He thought back to the battle- his last father figure almost died. _He_ almost died.

Peter thought back to the war. That's what he referred to it as in his head because it just tore his life apart. But he was alive, he should be happy, right? But no, he felt like... if he had just stayed on the bus everyone would've been alive. Thanos wouldn't have snapped. The world wouldn't have to be half empty for five years. His heart rate always rose when he thought about it. He hated the aftermath more than anything else.

_If you had just stayed on the bus._

Peter panic rise in his throat quickly, forcing all the air out of his lungs. He sat up abruptly in the top bunk, gasping for air. He hyperventilated for what felt like hours, tears dripping down his face. Guilt overtook him and he hadn't cried since he got out of the hospital. Everything was clouding him and after bottling it all up he broke in the middle of the night at Ned's house. He needed to go home. He was not about to have a panic attack in his best friend's house, whether he had a crush on him or not. Despite his ragged breathing, Peter clung to the ceiling and gently dropped to the ground. He tried to hold his breath to be quieter, but it wasn't working. As fast as he could, he changed into his binder. He packed his bag and pulled on his suit, ignoring Karen's questions at his sudden panic attack. He put on a random blue jacket over his suit- whether the jacket was Ned or Peter's, they never figured out. He wrote Ned a short but shaky letter about him feeling sick and heading home, taping it to Ned's phone.

Peter gently cracked a window, crawling out. He shut it and was out. He tried to gather his breathing but he knew he wouldn't be able to swing home, so he sat on the roof of the building. He hugged himself, curling in on himself a little. He pulled the jacket around him a bit tighter, trying to force out the intrusive thoughts but he _couldn't_.

_Tony could've died. May has to get a new job. Mill- _billions_ of people grieved. Why? Because you got off the bus to try to be some superhero._

Peter was begging for air, thick sobs coming from the teen. Karen spoke, making him cover his mouth just so he could hear her. "Peter, you seem to be having symptoms of a panic attack. Calling Mr. Stark."

"No! Don't-" Peter gasped, begging her to do anything but that. It was nearing two in the morning- Tony didn't need to be wakened up. The dial tone rung through his ears anyway. He tried to make the helmet dissolve or whatever it did- but it _wasn't working._

"Hey, kiddo." Tony started. "What are you doing up so late?" Peter was silent. He hadn't even spoken to Tony since... everything. The teen realized he was holding his breath. The silence hung in the air like a dead weight. "Are you okay, bud? Did something happen?"

"Mr. Parker is having a panic attack," Karen announced. Peter bit back a swear at her. She was just doing her job, not trying to hurt him. But _fuck_, could she have put it a _little _nicer?

"Hey, Pete, you okay? Do I need to send a suit? I can come to get you." He was launched into Dad Mode. But this time he _was_ a dad. He didn't need to be dealing with some teenagers.

"Um-" Peter hesitated for a moment, considering it. "Y-Yes please." He didn't want to make Tony stress over him, but there was no way Peter was going back inside Ned's apartment. "Sorry f-for waking you up."

"I wasn't asleep, bubba. It's not a big deal. You can stay the night up here." By 'up here', he meant the cabin. Tony Stark retired after the battle. The news went crazy over it, saying he had PTSD again, like when he first came out as Iron Man. But sometimes Tony would tweet out 'cabin life' or whatever he dubbed it nowadays. "I was just working on some stuff for Morgan." Peter heard a muffled confirmation of sending the suit, and then a monotone beep. "We're carving pump- well, we _were_ carving pumpkins." Tony had a hint of a laugh in his voice. She was probably next to him asleep on the table. Peter wouldn't know- he never met her in person before.

"Why?" He smiled. His breathing was much calmer, but not enough for him to go back inside and call this all off. His heart still thumped in his chest, but... Tony's voice still helped. It helped him feel like it was 2017 again. Like he was still a kid.

God knows Peter didn't feel like a kid anymore.

"We gotta decorate the place," Tony said it with a tone that said _Obviously_. "We're cutting out ghosts and we were about to cut-slash-paint pumpkins. We have to make it look spooky. Her words."

"Halloween isn't for another month." Peter lied down, staring up at the sky. He stared at the stars and the moon, hoping nobody saw the vigilante on the rooftop. The news, unfortunately, picked up on his radio silence.

"Not in Morgan's eyes. Where are you?" His voice turned worrisome quickly. He must've read the address of Peter's suit. The spider hero was still surprised that he had a tracker on it. He was almost 17.

"N-Ned's roof." Peter sighed. Shame stirred up in him, his stomach knotting. Tony probably thought this all was stupid. And fuck- it was.

"Why?" Tony asked. _Oh, you know, I started having a panic attack because half of the world died because I wanted to have a little spider-fun! The usual._

"I- May's out of town. I..." H_ad a meltdown on Ned's top bunk._ "...Grabbed my backpack. I just wanted to leave."

"What caused it? You know, the panic attack. Was it Ned?"

"No. It was just..." Peter draped his arms over his eyes. "The fact I missed five years. You have a daughter. A-And maybe, maybe if I had just ... stayed on the bus, things wouldn't have been that way? Maybe none of that would have happened?" He tried not to cry. He didn't want to ruin the mask. But most importantly, he didn't want to cry in front of Tony. Not anymore.

"Kid, you're the reason everyone came back. Hey, the suit's almost there, okay? Morgana's waking up a bit. I'll see you when you get here, okay?" Tony was dodging the conversation. And Peter didn't blame him. He didn't want to talk about his issues that much, either.

"Okay, yessir." He hung up, laying down and hugging his bag to his chest. When the suit appeared, he webbed his arm to the leg and let it fly. Peter let his head fall, resting his eyes as they flew. He almost dropped the bag, which snapped him awake. They flew over the city, and then the nighttime made it beautiful. The trees were beautiful, of course, too. Peter let the mask dissolve (his words) and sighed, stress wracking his body. He let small tears form in his eyes. He didn't want Tony to get hurt again. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to have to save the world again. He... didn't want to be Spider-Man. Oh, fuck. _Did_ Peter want to be Spider-Man anymore? What was happening?

They flew for a little while. The cabin was nowhere near Peter's new apartment. It was in the middle of the woods. Like, you know, a cabin would be.

They landed and he detached the web. Tony stood on the porch. "Hey, kid." He came over, smiling. He wiped Peter's tears, hands on his cheeks. The teen was a little embarrassed he was crying, anyway, but he had given up on that. The two wrapped their arms around each other and Peter broke down a bit, tears dripping into Tony's nightshirt. The teen could feel the metal below the shirt- Tony's prosthetic. It had small stickers around the hand, gifted by his daughter. The two stood in silence for a moment.

"I'm sorry." He finally murmured. Tony pulls him a little tighter. Peter doesn't reject.

"Hey, bubba, don't be. things have been rough. I know. But they're gonna get better, I promise you, Pete. I'm here with you and I'll be here with you forever. Thanos couldn't take me out, so I'm invincible." He laughed a bit, lightening the mood. "Do you have pajamas?"

"Yessir." He nodded, being ushered inside. Tony visibly rolled his eyes at 'sir' but didn't comment on it like he used to. Peter put a hand around his spider-clip and it all dissolved, leaving him in his pajamas in the living room. It was so... homelike. Not modern like all the rooms at the tower.

"You can take the couch. We're working on a guest room at the moment. But I promise the couch is super comfy to sleep on."

"How would you know?" He sniffled, setting his bag by the ground and sitting down.

"If I'm not in bed by eleven, the door gets locked." Tony smiled. "TV works, so you can watch whatever. I'll be upstairs, alright? If you need anything, don't hesitate."

"Yessir."

"Alright, kid. Stop binding if you are, goodnight." Tony turned off the light before going upstairs as quietly as he could, only illuminated by the moonlight pouring through a window upstairs.

The fact Tony kept his ritual of telling the teen just made him so... emotional? He felt dumb. It probably was. But.. the fact that Tony still cared about the small things. Peter knew things would never go back to the way they were, but it was a start. The spiderling felt guilty because he didn't do as asked. Especially after the day he had. His healing would keep him from any permanent injuries, and he prayed Tony wouldn't notice. Peter tossed and turned on the couch, not because of uncomfort it brought, but because of his shame.

He couldn't make it one night without freaking out, and now he had to retreat to Tony's like he always did. But things were different. Peter wished things hadn't changed. He prayed things could go back to the way they were.

Peter fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Peter awoke to a jab in his cheek. Nothing sharp- it felt like someone's hand. He tried his best to ignore it and go back to sleep. The teen was much too tired to care, anyway. He felt another poke, so he opened his eyes. There was a small girl- dark hair like Tony's, and blue eyes like Pepper's. She had to be five or six.

Morgan lit up into a big smile. "Are you Peter?" She whispered. Sunlight peeked through the windows and it had to be early- six, maybe. Why was she awake?

"Uh- er, yeah?" He sat up and looked around a little. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Uh-huh. But I wanted to see you!"

"Oh, well, um... do you want breakfast?" Oh fuck. Peter wasn't good with kids. Like, at all. Morgan nodded and the two went into the kitchen. Peter yawned, rubbing his eyes. It was an ungodly hour and he hadn't gotten a lot of sleep. "What do you usually have?"

"On the weekends I get pancakes!"

"Pancakes it shall be." Maybe he should have some coffee. He'd never drank it before, but he didn't want to risk falling asleep during the day. It'd make him look like a dick, sleeping on the couch or something.

He started at the pancakes while Morgan went into the living room to find something to entertain her. Peter was busy, only keeping a loose eye on her. She seemed responsible and hell- it was her home, not Peter's. She knew where things were.

When Peter was on the last pancake, she announced. "Why do you have needles?" She lifted out the freezer gallon baggie in Peter's bag with a needle and jar of the clear liquid. Peter turned off the stove and rushed over, taking it from her hands.

"Those aren't for you, okay? Be careful." Peter started to put it back in his backpack, Tony came downstairs.

"Morgana, no more snooping." Tony lifted her onto his hip. "What are you doing awake?" Nobody knew who that was directed at.

"Peter made me pancakes!" Morgan announced. Tony set her on the kitchen chair she was on earlier.

"I see that. None for me?" He took one from Peter, biting into it. The teen didn't object.

"I didn't know when you usually, um, wake up. I can make you some-"

"Don't worry about it, kid. Who woke up first?"

"I woke up Peter all by myself!" Morgan grinned, proud. Tony raised an eyebrow.

"At what time?"

"A little under an hour ago," Peter answered, rubbing at his eyes. He'd fallen asleep around three-thirty, so he got next to no sleep. But he'd run on less, so he'd be fine.

"At _six_? Pete, when did you fall asleep?" Tony bit into an unfinished pancake.

"Not that much later after I got here." He shrugged, trying to assure Tony. Peter knew what time he fell asleep. He was getting anxious about not getting enough sleep like he always did, and kept checking the time. He last remembered checking it around four am.

"God, kid, you must be exhausted."

"'M not that tired." Peter lied. He fought back another yawn.

"Do you want some coffee?" Tony rose from his seat, going over to the pot and staring a brew, not waiting for Peter's answer.

"Um... I've never had it."

"Come on, you're a teenager. Don't you guys run on that stuff?"

"I don't. After the bite, I got worried it'd mess with me or something, plus I've heard its bitter, and my senses and everything-"

"We can make it not bitter. If you don't want to try it, you don't have to. I'm just making some for myself."

Peter looked around the house a little, eyes drifting wall to wall of homey wallpaper. "I'll try- is that a llama?" There was, in fact, a dark brown creature in the back yard.

"Oh, that's Gerald! He's an _alpaca_." Morgan announced. She grinned up at Peter, who was deep in thought about exactly _how_ long he was gone. Tony could sense it, placing a gentle hand on his back and setting the mug in front of him.

"You don't have to drink it all," Tony assured him, sitting next to him. "So, wanna talk about Ned yet?"

Peter took a small sip, and it had only a touch of bitterness. Even to Peter's senses, it tasted fine. Peter gave a small smile of thanks, not sure how to answer the inquiry. Tony tilted his head in question and Peter sighed. "I mean... I guess."

"Who's Ned?" Morgan whispered.

"This boy Peter likes." Tony leaned over and whispered. Morgan gasped. Peter's face flushed darker.

"I.. we haven't talked. I dunno when we will. His Dad didn't get blipped, so... I dunno how his family's doing. I don't talk to him much. But, um, yeah, I'll see if I can ask soon. Maybe when things are more... normal."

"Why don't you invite him over?"

"...What?" Peter looked up from his coffee.

"Yeah, maybe we have a big lake day. I'll barbeque while you, Morgan, and Ned can all swim." Tony shrugged.

"I'll, uh, I'll ask." He smiled a little, drinking his hot beverage. "Thank you, Mr. S-" His phone interrupted him, ringing Ned's ringtone. He quickly stood. "Speak of the devil. I'll- um- I'll be right back." And Peter quickly exited out the back door, standing on the porch as he answered the call.

Tony sighed, looking down at his nearly untouched mug. Pepper made her way downstairs, running a brush through her beautiful hair. She pecked Tony's cheek and sat in Peter's spot. "Peter's here?" She noticed the bag against the couch. Tony nodded, but Morgan answered first.

"He got here last night and we're gonna barbeque! He's talkin' to a boy he likes!" Morgan pointed out the door, which Pepper gently scolded her for.

"We might have Ned come down and have a lake day." He shrugged. "May's out of town and he ended up coming here."

"At three am?"

"I'll tell you later." Tony lowered his voice as the door opened and Peter returned.

"He-He said he's free today. Hi, Pepper."

"Why is she Pepper and I'm still Mr. Stark?

"Because he likes me more than you." Pepper smiled at him, taking Tony's mug from him and sipping it.

"How dare you! Morgan, I'm your favorite still, right?" He turned to her. She only giggled and hid behind the table a bit more, shaking her head no. Tony stood up, offended. "Dad's not your favorite?!"

"Peter's my favorite!" Morgan announced, laughing. Her father gasped _very_ dramatically. Tony stood up and turned out, leaving through the front door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter will be hecka long!!!  
dw ill update you fell asleep in my car i drove the whole time soon!! i just felt writers block while writing it but im working on it!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lake day at the Stark's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is it gamers!! thank you for reading along and PLEASE give me feedback in the comments, it helps me feel more inspired to write!  
i also take requests in my tumblr inbox

The sun-glazed down over the four as Tony started on the barbeque. Pepper and he were having a friendly chat while Morgan did fake runway walks in her new swimsuit. Pepper had taken them shopping for one that morning since almost all of Peter's clothes were donated in the blip, and Morgan had begged for the one she wore at the moment. And Pepper, being the most hilarious woman in the world, bought him red and blue swim trunks.

Peter wore black flip-flops and Spider-Man swim trunks, along with some random white shirt. They were red and blue striped with a tiny web on the side, and Peter was still pretty shocked that Target carried _his_ 'merch'. Was the hero missed that much?

While they all hung out and Morgan told stories of her kindergarten while Peter typed on his phone. They assumed it was texting or.. whatever teenagers did, but it was the letter. He was gonna tell Ned that day. He was. And Ned was on his way, ten minutes from the cabin. He had to have one of Tony's drivers get him, which made Ned freak out.

Ned didn't comment much on the fact he left in the middle of the night, and he wanted to bring it up later. Peter felt guilty, of course, but he wasn't sure if Ned was angry about it or not. Peter kept getting distracted from his letter because he kept thinking of his best friend. He put down his phone, bouncing his leg.

"What's wrong, kiddo?" Tony sat across from him. He had a platter of hot dogs and hamburgers- perfect American barbeque. There were condiments and buns and toppings on the table but Peter didn't dare eat any. "Nervous?"

"No." Peter lied, face flushing. "Nothing's wrong." He bounced his leg. Ned was on his way, and oh god, Peter wasn't ready.

"You look anxious." Tony frowned. He was good at that. Before... he could tell if Peter had a bad day after half an hour of him acting off. Most of the time, Peter appreciated the gesture, but right now it wasn't as appreciated. He didn't want to talk about Ned, because it would cause more anxiety, so Peter's responses were short.

"Thanks."

Tony frowned at the backtalk. "No more coffee for you. Ever." Was that why Peter was so anxious? There were too many factors for him to decide what was causing the amount of uncomfortable energy- most likely the coffee, though.

Peter's face softened into a small grin. "Sorry."

"What're you gonna do when he gets here?" Tony dipped a carrot in hummus, taking a sharp bite out of it. Peter had to think over his answer, setting down his phone to clear his mind.

"I'm.. not sure. I might not even do it today." Peter looked at the table, deep in concentration. He was so 50/50 over telling Ned.

"You should." Tony shrugged. Peter looked to Pepper for help, who to his despair, nodded in agreement. "It'll get that weight off your shoulders."

"What if he says he doesn't like me back? Or worse, he does? What then?" Peter's anxiety started to spill past his lips before he could stop it. He had so many questions and so little time, he'd never asked anyone out before- boy _or_ girl, so he was screwed.

"If he doesn't, you two continue to be friends. If he does, then.. oh, _fuck_, what do you do?" It dawned on Tony's face.

"Swear jar!" Morgan interrupted. Pepper started to laugh, wiping her daughter's face with a napkin.

"Do-Do we go on a date?" Peter bounced his leg a bit more, anxiety crawling up his throat. He didn't know what questions to ask and which to keep to himself.

"I don't know!" Tony threw his hands up in the air.

"This is your job!" Peter mimicked Tony. It _was_ his job. Peter remembered Tony trying to get him to talk about girls or boys before but he never really opened up about Ned.

"I didn't expect to have to do it so soon!" Tony put his head in his hands. "I don't know how to handle boys!"

"You're gonna have to do it for Morgan, too." Pepper laughed, not very affected by their clear panic. Her retort didn't help Tony.

"No! Morgan, no dating for you! No boys! No girls! You're going to stay my baby forever!" Tony stood, lifting his daughter and walking away from the table. He went and sat on the dock in frustration. It was like he was a child and got sent to time out.

Pepper turned to Peter, moving over so she was in Tony's spot, across from him. "To be honest, you'll be fine. If he says he doesn't like you back, that's okay. You two can keep being friends, and just respect his wishes. And if he does like you back, then talk to him about it. You two can go on a date or two before you decide to go further. God knows it took me forever to finally go out with Tony." She smiled. "You're a good kid, Peter. I promise you won't lose your friend."

That helped soothe Peter's nerves, and before he could respond Morgan shouted as she ran her way back to the table. "I'm gonna put my hotdog in the water!" She proceeded to grab hers off her plate, making Pepper shout.

"No! You eat your hotdogs _dry_!"

A nice, sleek car pulled up. Not enough to catch too much attention, but it was nothing to scoff at. Ned got out and glanced at Peter, his face growing into a grin. He waved. and made his way over. He was in a star-wars shirt and black and white trunks, split down the middle. He had a towel draped over his shoulder and waved goodbye to the driver.

After homecoming, Ned calmed down his fanboyness around Tony and kept his admiration silent. He'd even visited the compound a few times. But Ned was only allowed to meet Tony and Pepper, not any other Avenger. Ned was fine with that, surprisingly.

He sat down next to the teen. "Hey, guys." Peter's face burned red. Tony noticed, but only raised an eyebrow.

Tony turned his expression to be a smile and shook Ned's hand. "It's nice seeing you again."

"You too, Mr. Stark." He smiled and shook Pepper's hand again.

Morgan spoke before Pepper could, unfortunately. She had been collecting rocks around the lake and upon her return, she shouted. "Are you Peter's boyfriend?" Which made the teen turn bright red and answer _way_ too quickly.

"No! We aren't dating!"

"Oh, wow, I'm flattered." Ned smiled. Peter put his head in his hands in utter embarrassment.

"Morgan keeps thinking we're dating. I keep correcting her but she's persistent." Peter's face burnt crimson. "We love her, though. But- but I found her going through my bag this morning!" He blurted. "Privacy, please, Morguana!" The table erupted into laughter.

\---

It was a little later, and while Tony stayed out of the water, Pepper sat on the dock. She kept her sunglasses and had put on a brimmed hat to shield her. Tony instructed everyone to put on sunscreen before getting into the lake and put extra on Peter because he was staying out of the water. Peter felt smothered when Tony rubbed it into his face, muttering for him to stop in embarrassment. Tony really turned into a dad. Peter would be lying if he said he hated it, though.

Ned waded in and beckoned Peter to join him, which excited Morgan. Peter felt something. Like pins and needles in his head, his hairs standing up, and everything was in slow motion. Looking at the dock, Morgan was running off it. Peter crossed his arms in an X formation, making his bracelets flush out into his web-shooters. Thankfully, he was fast enough to shoot a web at her back as she pushed off the ground. He pulled her closer and wrapped her arms around him, nearly throwing himself off his balance. When he snapped back to focus, he let out a sigh of relief. "You forgot the floaties we bought."

"Oh!" Morgan chirped. Peter pulled the web off her back and she ran off to get them as if that hadn't just happened. Pepper smiled, shaking her head and mouthing a thank you.

"She gives us both gray hairs. She's very impulsive." Tony announced, blowing up the floaties while his daughter waited impatiently.

Peter put his web-shooters back into the bracelet, interrupted by Ned, who's eyes basically had stars in them. "Peter, that was so cool." Ned grinned, truly impressed. Peter's face burned red and he sat at the edge, taking off his flipflops to let his legs sit in the water.

"I didn't wanna show off." He kicked water at his friend, who laughed and splashed him back. The two started a splash fight, and Ned was very much winning. The two laughed.

Their splash fight had died down and Peter was now sitting calmly at the edge, Ned leaning up against it. "So," The teen in the water started. "Do you think you'll ever be Spider-Man again?"

"Yeah, maybe. Soon. It's just... a lot of recoveries. I can't imagine how it must be for you, though."

"Yeah.. mom and dad are splitting. But that's nothing new." Ned shrugged. Peter nearly got whiplash from that double-take.

"Nothing new?" He sputtered.

"They always had problems, even before the blip." Ned kicked off the dock, floating in the water.

Peter cringed at the nickname the world had given the snap. But the fact Ned's parents were splitting was a bigger surprise. "They always seemed like soulmates."

"Yeah, Peter, when you were around." Ned laughed a bit. "It's not a big deal. It's not like I hate him or anything."

"You don't hate him? I would if I were you."

"Did you hate your parents for leaving?"

A small silence hung in the air while Peter mulled it over. "I think I was too young to really understand, but no, I don't really feel mad. Sometimes I would get mad at Ben when he didn't tell me stuff about them, but now that he's gone, I kinda understand why. He just wanted me to still see them in a good view." Peter shrugged. "I've thought about it a lot, though."

"Imagine if they were still here, though. They'd have a super spider-kid!"

"You're right, I _am_ pretty cool." Pete put a finger gun under his chin, giving Ned a smirk, making him burst into giggles.

"Woah there, kid," Tony shouted. "I would barely call you _cool_." He was blowing up Morgan's floaties, which were apparently a struggle for him. He had no idea how the plastic worked.

"What?! I'm like, the coolest person you've ever met!" Peter threw his hands up in the air in frustration.

"I've met Elon Musk." Tony deadpanned, his expression falling flat. Peter sighed, _what a meme legend._

"I'm like, the second coolest person you've ever met."

There were running footsteps behind him and Morgan came barrelling in. "Cannonball!" She shouted and proceeded to do nothing like a cannonball. She threw her hands in the air and jumped into the water, this time in floaties. Pepper and Ned clapped at her attempt anyway.

The day blazed on, and Ned and Morgan swam much more than anyone else. They seemed to be getting along, and Tony finished up the food not too soon after the whole floaty incident. Peter stayed out of the water all afternoon. Pepper eventually got in, trying to teach Morgan how to swim better. Peter sat at the dock, not getting in. He looked down at his bracelets often and Ned picked up on this, getting out soon and sitting next to him. They sat in comfortable silence, making small talk about Morgan. She piped up to interrupt them. "Petey, come swim!" She put her arms out. Peter looked away in slight shame.

The teen didn't want to take off his shirt because on a normal day he wouldn't even feel comfortable in one layer. He needed at least a shirt and a hoodie, or a shirt and a sweater, etc. So being just in his binder was out of the question. The fact he only had a shirt and nothing over it was a movement for him. He knew for a fact if he did take it off, he'd be to dysphoric to enjoy himself. And he wanted to be comfortable, so he didn't.

After Ned noticed Peter hunched over a bit and refusing to get in the water, he let it go and let him do his own thing, and Peter thanked Ned so much for that. Whenever Peter's new clothes were too big on him and showed off the straps of his binder, Ned always lent a jacket. Whenever Peter was getting bluntly misgendered, Ned would always correct him or make a big emphasis when he used the correct ones. He was just a good friend like that, he always had been.

Morgan got out of the water and came over to the two, dripping everywhere. "Petey- Petey, will you throw me in?" She pointed to the water, bouncing on her toes. Peter grinned a little.

"Yeah, sure. Just gotta make sure you don't go underwater." Again.

"Can you web me?" She beamed, bouncing on her toes. "Pretty please?" She clasped her hands together.

"No way. Spider-Man isn't a party trick." He frowned, making Ned burst out in guffaws.

"Why is that so funny?" Tony asked, rubbing more sunscreen on Morgan's face. He was not letting his darling daughter get burnt.

"Because-" Ned started, and even after Peter waving his hands and sushing him wildly, he continued. "-Peter wanted to come out as Spidey in the middle of Liz Allan's party! Almost did, too!"

"You did?!" Tony laughed. Peter put his head in his hands, muttering about how he had superheroic duties to fulfill.

Morgan eventually convinced him to put a web on her back- Tony's idea was a harness but Peter didn't want to show off anymore or earn any party trick comments- and Peter was going to throw Morgan into the water to see if Ned could catch her. And, worst-case scenario, he didn't and Peter pulled her back up. Morgan cheered and clapped each time, and loved it when she got dunked and pulled out the most. It was like a yoyo of some sort.

It was later in the day, closer to three-ish. The three children returned and ate away at the barbeque. Peter's stomach refused after a few bites, his anxiety returning. It was getting later in the day and they weren't planning on swimming much longer. He needed to tell Ned because if he didn't today, he never would. And when Pepper and Morgan went inside for a moment to refill the pitcher of lemonade, he found the chance. He took in a shaky breath. "Hey, um, Ned?" He stared at his feet. "Wanna go on a walk with me?"

"Sure." He smiled a bit and the two got up, giving their quiets goodbye to the third man (who knew exactly what was happening and let them go) and made their way on the walk outside the lake. "So, what's up?" Ned looked up at him. Peter's face burned red, anxiety dizzying his eyesight.

"Um, okay, this... okay. I've been trying to tell you this for... a while. I mean, like... a long time." He sighed. "It's hard for me to talk about."

"Hey, dude, everything okay?" Ned got more worried. "You're never this serious."

"I'm okay, it's just... I need to get it off my chest." Peter stopped walking, fidgeting his hands to get the energy out. They were almost halfway around the lake. "Ned, I just don't want you to look at me weird, okay? If- if you don't like it, I still want to be friends. I don't want it to make us not be friends." He stared at his feet.

"Is it something bad?"

"No, it's just... the reason I knew I was bi was because of you. You- you made me realize I liked guys, too. Ned," He looked him in the eyes. He couldn't believe he just said all that. "I like you. A-And I'm sorry if you don't feel the same way but I've known about this for a long tuh-" Peter was cut off.

While Peter was apologizing, Ned had put his hands on Peter's shoulders and kissing him. His lips on Peter's nearly made him melt. A_m I dreaming? Is this really happening? Did I hit my head at some point today?_ Ned broke free, smiling at Peter's dazed expression. "I like you, too."

Peter's mind went a mile a minute. _What? How? When? For how long? Are you pranking me? Are you the real Ned? What is happening?_ Peter opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by loud whooping from across the water. "THAT'S MY BOY!"

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! You can request oneshots and see more content in general over on my tumblr  



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